Femtosecond optical parametric converter in the 168–182-nm range

Abstract

Femtosecond pulses continuously tunable in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral range between 168 and 182 nm were generated using four-wave frequency mixing in an argon-filled capillary. The pulse energy reached 200 nJ at a pump-to-VUV conversion efficiency of 1%. The bandwidth at 181 nm was up to 27 THz corresponding to a transform limited duration of 17 fs. The upper limit in the shortest measured pulse duration was 75 fs.